AJ Styles vs Nate Webb TNA Xplosion 11-01-2003
It took me a long time to warm up to AJ Styles
Eventually I got there, but it took a very long time. Weird, right? I write a blog that involves constantly talking about my love of cool moves that look like they hurt, but I didn't like AJ Styles. It's not that I thought he was bad or that he sucked, I just didn't really like him a lot. I could admit he was good at wrestling, I could admit that he was skilled, I just couldn't admit to myself that he was great. On paper, makes no sense. He checked all the boxes in my, are you a rad wrestler list. Cool Moves? CHECK. That was pretty much the list back then. It's changed now, but all I cared about in the early 2000s were cool moves. So how come AJ Styles, a guy with arguably the best offense of his generation, never did it for me?
Because of the ROH Second Anniversary Show
There will be no oral history written about that night in Braintree Massachusetts in February of 2004. No long articles about the tournament that night, a tournament to crown the first ever Ring of Honor Pure Wrestling champion. There will be no documentary about Matt Stryker facing Josh Daniels, or Doug Williams facing Chris Sabin. It was a solid ROH show in a year of great ROH shows, so people don't remember it. It's just a footnote to most people. A lost moment in wrestling, because unless you watched it you would have never remembered what happened.
Pepperidge Farm remembers.
I'm Pepperidge Farm in this scenario.
Yes that night featured AJ Styles winning a tournament for the first ever ROH Pure Wrestling championship. It was a one night tournament where he had to defeat Jimmy Rave, Matt Stryker, and CM Punk to win the title. What a valiant effort by AJ, who injured his leg early on in his first match with Jimmy Rave but still won. Then in the second round, Matt Stryker made the leg a focus but AJ persevered. Finally, even with that bum leg, AJ was able to pull off the victory over CM Punk. What a gutsy, gutsy performance by AJ. A classic wrestling story of the babyface overcoming the odds. There's only one problem with it.
HE NEVER SOLD HIS LEG
I have never been one to give a fuck about guys not selling stuff in matches, wimpies excluded. But the AJ situation was so ridiculous that IT COLORED MY OPINION OF HIM FOR A DECADE. It's legendarily bad by those who watched it. Whole matches based around attacking his legs, and AJ is still doing top rope moves without even as much as grabbing his knee. I remember someone in the ROH chatroom wondering aloud if he should rip the leg off his AJ Styles' action figure and see if it sells it. It was that bad man. So for a very long time, that was my first thought when I thought of AJ. My immediate thought was his shortcomings. That wasn't fair, because I'm sure I missed out on a lot of good AJ Styles matches. I let my biases cloud my judgement and it wasn't fair. It isn't fair to judge someone based on my preconceived notion. Now when I think of AJ Styles, that tournament isn't the first thing to pop into my head
GAY COMMUNITY? is
Let's travel back to 2003 before Mitt Romney displayed a rare moment of wokeness and signed Same Sex Marriage into law. We're in the TNA Asylum for an episode of TNA Xplosion. I have never seen a single Xplosion match before today, as the show wasn't syndicated in any markets near me. So this will be interesting. Here we in Nashville we have AJ Styles taking on "Spyder" Nate Webb. Nate Webb is an indie wrestling legend, most known for maybe the funnest entrance in wrestling as he dances to the Full-Length version of "Teenage Dirtbag" by Wheatus. Plus as a bonus, Nate is accompanied by Dave Prazak. Dave is a Renaissance man of pro wrestling. He is known to some as a manager and commentator, but probably his biggest achievement is the promoter of Shimmer Women's Wrestling. Dave and Nate were part of a crew of indie wrestlers along with Chris Hero, Matt Sydal, Delirious, and Daizee Haze who made weekly drives to Nashville on Wednesday Nights to get some Xplosion matches. TNA never signed any one of them because we really needed that Trytan run I guess.
AJ Styles is out and this is the classic AJ Styles look he rocked for years. He's got the short tights, he's got the short hair, he's got the short sleeves, and the long hoodie. A sleeveless Hoodie never made sense to me, but what do I know OTHER THAN HOW TO SELL MY LEG. Sorry, I said I'd stop. As Prazak and Webb strategize on the outside, AJ LEAPS OVER THE TOP ROPE AND DOES....SOMETHING. Camera work missed it completely. Let's pretend it was something cool. AJ LEAPS OVER THE TOP ROPE AND DOES SOMETHING COOL. He is all over Nate Webb, and AJ is laying his shit in with some forearms. He tosses Nate into the guardrail then back into the ring. He hits Nate with WHAT MAY BE THE BEST DROPKICK I HAVE EVER SEEN. Nate is a taller guy so that makes it even more impressive. Holy Shit. AJ is all over Nate and this is shaping up to be a great squash. A stiff kick to Nate's back followed by a impressive Stalling Brainbuster. Nate is getting his ass kicked dude. As AJ taunts Nate, Prazak gets on the apron for a distraction. AJ decides he's had enough, and Prazak's "I fucked up face" is epic. He gives chase to Prazak outside the ring, but when he finally catches him Nate recovers and hits a baseball slide. This gives Nate a chance to climb the top rope and hit a BEAUTIFUL MOONSAULT TO THE OUTSIDE. You couldn't have done it any better. I probably couldn't have either. AJ could have BECAUSE HE DOESNT SELL HIS LEG .
Sorry
Nate has a chance as AJ recovers in the corner, so Nate runs at AJ but gets killed with a discuss lariat. God I love that move. Not even AJ's version, just if anyone does it. If Henry Kissinger did it I'd have to rethink my opinion on him. Actually no, I'd still think he was a warm criminal. Just one with a good discuss lariat. Prazak back on the apron, but this time an AJ Styles slap takes him out of the equation. AJ brings Nate to the corner, and a hard chop across the chest. AJ has something planned, but Nate gets him down and JUMPS OFF FOR A HURRACA OH NO AJ CAUGHT HIM. A super impressive display of strength as AJ catches and slams him down. It's not pretty, but its effective. In ANOTHER display of strength. AJ lifts Nate off the ground with a POWERBOMB, followed by ANOTHER POWEBOMB, followed b a Styles Clash for the win. After the match Prazak gets one for his troubles
This was great, absolutely fantastic. Nate Webb was a great wimpy, but obviously AJ is the star here in more ways than one Fuck it, this is in the hall of fame. I never considered how good AJ Styles would be in a squash match, but this all makes sense. He is deceptively great at laying his shit in and all he has to do is perform cool moves to an unsuspecting victim
And he never has to sell his leg
TLDR Review
AJ is Phenomenal at Squash Matches. Nate Webb got squashed like a spider. Dave Prazak is....Dave Prazakian.
If you're interested in more condensed version of my thoughts, You can check out my Twitter where I talk about wrestling or stress out during Boston Celtics games. Hell, I'll even take suggestions for matches you want to see reviewed. You can also check out my Youtube where I make weird videos where I put on wigs in front of a camera to mask my true identity.